HCFCD repairs part of White Oak Bayou

Published 7:00 pm, Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The Harris County Flood Control District recently completed a maintenance project to repair an important issue along the slopes of White Oak Bayou - erosion.

The $492,000 project began in October 2009. The erosion was caused by a scour hole (a void that can naturally occur in the bottom of a channel) located between Beltway 8 and Equador Street in Jersey Village.

“Scour holes are caused by poor soils or by turbulent motions of the water,” said Heather Saucier, spokesperson for HCFCD. “When scour holes develop, they can erode parts of a channel and that erosion can create a larger scour hole, which can lead to further erosion, and so on. Because of the poor nature of Harris County soils, the majority of our grass-lined channels are vulnerable to erosion.”

If the erosion had been left uncorrected, it could lead to slope failure, which can impede the flow of water in a bayou or stream, Saucier explained. The eroded area was also about to encroach on a hike-and-bike trail on the south side of the bayou. Part of the trail might have collapsed.

“Crews worked to repair the scour hole with a granular fill to fill the voids,” Saucier said. “Additional fill was used to reshape the channel’s slide slopes and smooth them out again. The bottom and toe of the channel were armored with riprap (concrete rocks) for additional support.”

The crews also replaced several drainage pipes that carry storm water into the bayou.